Shipping pack



Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED sra'rnsl JOHN U. BEA'ION, OF WAREHA'M, MASSACHUSETTS.

sHIPPING PACK.

Application led October 22, 1923. Serial No. 669,951.

To all tti/2,0m @'15 may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. BnA'roN, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVareham, county of Plymouth, Gommonwealth of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shippingl Packs, ofwhich the following is a specification. A

In this' application the invention involved has to do with the packagingof such small fruits as cranberries for the purpose of shipment and saleand particularly to a package or pack where it is desired to have theberries visibile but reasonably inacessible.

In my previous application I discussed my invention more particularlywith reference to a package filled through the top and deliberately leftopen for ventilation and inspection but under certain circumstances forcertain parts of the trade, it is desirable to combine this with a.transparent closure for the opening.

In accordance with my invention this closure is not a tight or air proofclosure and the ventilation is maintained. The top filling is alsomaintained all without loss of the advantages of my original pack andwithout material addition to expense either in material or labor. In theaccompanying drawings I have shown a simple form of my invention which Iwill discuss, utilizing like reference characters to indicatecorresponding' parts. In these drawings Fig. 1 is a. sectional view ofa. pack in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the initial filling step.

Fig. 3 a second settling step.

Fig. 4 the covering step, and

Fig. 5 the ultimate closing.

The pack shown in Fig. 1 consist-s of an open top container 10 withsurrounding shell 11 slidabily mounted on the sides of the container anda narrow flange 12 about the top of the surrounding shell defining thefilling and display aperture through which theberries B are introducedas shown in Fig. 2. lVhen the proper weight of berries has beenintroduced int-o the container the surrounding shell 11 is pushed downso that the flanges 12 press upon .the margins of the container and thesurface o-f the berries contained therein giving to them a very slightsettling pressure and equalizing their distribution over the surface.This insures the filling of lthe corners and sides while generallyleaving the central portion slightly above.

The package is now of known weight and to all practical purposesuniformly packed so that a minimum of settling will result. In the nextstep I raise the shell 11 slightly as shown .in Fig. 4, and tuck underthe edges of the flange 12 the margins of a transparent sheet of thinpliable material such as the transparent papers of commerce. The paper Pso introduced conforms to the'surface of the berries in general butleaves a variety of creases and folds which provide ventilation out fromunder the edges of the flange 12 or through apertures 121 formed in theflange for that purpose. If desired, the covering sheet P may itself beprovided with a plurality of relatively small Ventilating h-oles P1 toinsure adequate ventilation through the center of the container.

The flange 12 will continue to follow down any subsequent settling ofthe berries, and the transparent sheet at all times conforming to thesurface, exposes the berries to inspectionV as in a frame, thus addingmaterially to the artistic appearance.

While the method defined is a convenient and expeditious manner ofpacking, it may obviously be varied and within the limits of myinvention details of the package and sheet may be somewhat departed fromand all without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined inthe claims.

.What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Aunitary pack comprising a rectangular open top container and asurrounding shell slidably mounted thereon, and having a narrow flangeat its upper edge adapted to overlie the margins of the container topand to have continuousprogressive bearing on the contained fruitadjacent the margins of the container, a predetermined weight of berriesdisposed in said pack through the opening defined by said flange. and aflexible transparent. sheet inserted over the top of the berries andhaving its odge tucked beneath said iange, said flanges having'Ventilating apertures formed there- 1n.

2. A unitary pack comprising a rectangular open top container and asurrounding shell slidably mounted thereon, and having a narrow iiangeat its upper edge adapted to overlie the margins of the container topand to have continuous progressive bearing'on the contained fruitadjacent the margins of the container, a predetermined weight of berriesdisposed 1n said pack through the opening defined by said flange, and aflexible transparent sheet inserted over the top of the berries andhaving its edge tucked beneath said flange.

A unitary pack comprising a rectangular open top container and asurrounding shell slidably mounted thereon, and having a narrow flangeat its upper edge adapted to overlie Vthe margins ol the container topand to have continuous progressive bearing on the contained fruitadjacent the margins of' the container, a predetermined weight ofyberries disposed in said pack through the opening defined by saidFlange, and a flexible transparent sheet inserted over the top of theberries and having its edge tucked beneath said flange, said flangeshaving Ventilating `relation thereto.

4. The method of packing cranberries or the like consistingr inproviding an open top container and a surrounding shell slidably mountedthereon, and having a narrow inturned flange at its up )er edge adaptedto overlie the margins o the container top and to have continuousprogressive bearing on the Contained berries adjacent the inargins ofthe container, in introducing a predetermined weight of berries throughthe opening defined by said flange margins, in settling the berries, inraising the shell and in introducing a flexible transjmrent sheetintothe pack and over the surface of the berries with its margins beneathsaid flange and in sliding down the shell to bring said flange inContact with the sheet margins and press the same on the berries.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOL-IN J. BEATON. lVitnesses Bassin A. VVARR, MARJORIE L. Tmrr.

